High jewelry is the widely accepted pinnacle of handcraft in the luxury sector, a marriage of spectacular stones, exceptional artistry and painstaking workmanship, all woven through the historic design codes of legendary brands. That masterly blend from houses that include Cartier, Piaget, Mikimoto, Graff and Chanel is at the heart of each haute joaillerie design, one-of-a-kind pieces that often showcase diamonds and rare gemstones in impressive carat weights. That latter element is among the reasons high-jewelry collections typically require up to three years from concept to completion.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of high jewelry is the question that often arises while viewing a piece crafted to accentuate a sizable or extremely rare diamond or gemstone: Which came first, the stone or the design? Most of today’s revered jewelry houses tend to be mum on that answer, though it’s still fun to wonder when you gaze at a statement necklace or ring highlighting an immense yellow diamond or a Paraiba tourmaline that tops 40 carats. It’s also notable that, not unlike haute couture as a design laboratory for ready to wear, high jewelry often serves as a jumping-off point for the design themes of a house’s future fine-jewelry collections.

Tiffany & Co.